Talking Texans: Injuries, the O-line and more

Elaine_Sharpe: One last reminder before we get started … If your questions don’t get answered right away, be patient! It takes time to type a good response. Thanks everyone!

Doug_SLeon: Any word on who the Texans might sign as backup QB until Schaub heals?

Megan_Manfull: No word yet. That’s an issue the team is quickly addressing though. It wouldn’t be surprising if Craig Nall returns. He already is familiar with the system and spent a few weeks here.

jtex: Hey Megan, I think Schaub is a good qb, but he doesn’t seem very durable. He actually seems kind of soft. what is your take on that?

Megan_Manfull: I’m not sure how you can accurately judge a guy’s durability. I do know that Schaub is unlucky. Very unlucky.

DiehardChris: Is it safe to assume that Kubiak’s job is safe even if they don’t do better than 6-10?

Megan_Manfull: Yes. You can’t fix a franchise in this short amount of time. The Browns were impatient and kept changing their coaches. Then you have to have to start rebuilding all over again. Bob McNair will have patience with Kubiak.

GregB: Will the Texans win another game this season ?

Megan_Manfull: I wish I knew. Last year, they beat Indy when no one was expecting it. Maybe they can do something unexpected again in the final four weeks.

DiehardChris: I think Nall signed with the Packers last week.

Megan_Manfull: That’s probably true. I haven’t kept up with him. They also have Shane Boyd on the practice squad. He’s been around the offense for awhile now, and he could move up possibly.

Hothy: Would the team consider IR’ing Schaub?

Megan_Manfull: It’s kind of like Ahman Green. If he’s healthy enough to play in the last game or the last two, it would be worth it. At this point in the season, there’s not a lot of good street free agents out there that the Texans are clammering to sign. They don’t have to put him on IR because they need his roster spot.

CypressTexan: What about depth at Guard, who will back up Studdard?

Megan_Manfull: Rookie Brandon Frye has practiced a lot at guard this season, and I assume he will be the backup for now.

Hothy: Will Schaub’s “break-ability” factor into the Texans plans for the offseason, ie might we actually see a first round pick spent on an O-linemen?

Megan_Manfull: Depends. Are there any good defensive linemen available?

roughnecks: What are the Texans doing to fill in the holes on the Oline with all the injurys?

Megan_Manfull: Well, they are looking to see what’s available among free agents, but it’s slim pickings right now. Guard Mike Brisiel is on the practice squad and could be quickly called up. Rookie Brandon Frye will also increase his repetitions in practice. The starting job will be given to Kasey Studdard.

Doug_SLeon: What’s up with Walker? Why hasn’t he seen any action given the continual injuries to Green?

Megan_Manfull: Ron Dayne is playing well. That’s the main reason. Also, there’s concern about Walker pass blocking and holding onto the ball.

GregB: Will the Texans finally draft a defensive back and an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft ?

Megan_Manfull: They don’t have a second-round pick because of Matt Schaub, at this point. I have no idea where they will lean in the first round. It will depend on where they end up picking.

meganrocks: It seems like when we need a big stop especially on third down, we don’t get it. What do you think will be changed on defense?

Megan_Manfull: The Texans have done well overall on third downs the last few weeks. They’ve held their opponents to converting just a little more than 30-percent of them. But the big ones do seem to get them. They need to tackle better. It’s as basic as that, most of the time.

Hothy: Who, if anyone, might follow Sherman to the Aggies from the current staff.

Megan_Manfull: I don’t think they’ll discuss that until after the season. Obviously, linebackers coach Johnny Holland would seem a good fit in Aggieland because of his past. He’s arguably the Texans best position coach.

Doug_SLeon: But Dayne does’t really appear to have the breakaway speed needed out of at least one back. Is Darius not that fast?

Megan_Manfull: Darius is fast. But it doesn’t matter how fast he is if he misses a blitz and the defender knocks out Rosenfels. Nor does it matter if he blows down the field and fumbles.

Hothy: With the issues along the O-line, why so little mention of Butler and Black, espically Black since we were told that he could play all along the line when he was signed?

Megan_Manfull: They are tackles. That’s why they are irrelevant in the guard situation. Black is playing behind Bulter and Salaam right now. He’s fallen way down the depth chart.

GregB: If the Texans were to pull the plug on Kubiak (which would be premature) what is the possibliity of landing Bill Cowher to coach the Texans ?

Megan_Manfull: Don’t get your hopes up.

roughnecks: Do you know what position the Texans are looking at to draft first in the draft?

Megan_Manfull: I haven’t had time to do the math yet.

Doug_SLeon: Any word on Dunta and how he’s progressing?

Megan_Manfull: He’s still rehabilitating, but all reports are that it is going as expected. It’s going to be a long process to get him back on the field.

Doug_SLeon: Wasn’t aware Darius was that much of a stiff. Guess that’s why we haven’t seen him play. Given the good play of Sage, are the Texans considering trading him for some extra draft picks or another CB? Given how he’s played (and the numer of teams in need of a QB) he’s likely the most marketable player the Texans have.

Megan_Manfull: I didn’t say he’s a stiff. I think he’ll still get an opportunity this year. I just don’t think he’s going to be leap-frogging Ron Dayne anytime soon. He’s just young and there are more questions than answers right now about him.

Hothy: Megan, what roster moves is the team looking to make with 2 more players (and possible 3) headed to the IR list?

Megan_Manfull: They must add another quarterback to the 53-man roster and at least one guard. Shane Boyd and Mike Brisiel are on the practice squad. I’m not sure what’s available via free agency.

GregB: Which Texans players will be lost to free agency this offseason ?

Megan_Manfull: There are a few players whose contracts are up. Ron Dayne just signed a one-year deal. Fred Weary’s contract expires. There’s also Glenn Earl, Will Demps, Mark Bruener, Danny Clark and Andre’ Davis. Dexter Wynn, N.D. Kalu and Jason Simmons are also unrestricted free agents. That doesn’t mean they won’t re-sign a number of those guys though.

gb: What’s your take on the moral of the team after these tough loses and injuries?

Megan_Manfull: They are deflated. They are as disappointed as anyone. They knew they just lost “must win” games. The playoff talk is over now. It was a very somber team last night.

Ape2man: What is Jamar Fletcher’s status at DB? We could use the help back there?

Megan_Manfull: He was activated and played yesterday. He’s back and healthy. He replaced Dexter Wynn back there.

damcmp: you neve addressed the center question? who is going to place center if Flanagan gets nicked?

Megan_Manfull: I’m not sure. All three of their centers – Chris White, Steve McKinney and Fred Weary – are on IR.

Clay: Will Amobi catch a “second wind” this season? Or has he hit the “rookie wall” and disappeared for good until next year?

Megan_Manfull: He admitted a few weeks ago that he hit the rookie wall. He’s still playing OK out there, but his body can’t do what it was doing earlier in the season. He’s still playing hard though, and he’s doing all he can to play through. He still practices every day and plays most of the downs on Sundays.

ryan: if vince young is able to expose our secondary, doesn’t that make it the most pressing need to address in the offseason?

Megan_Manfull: Good point.

XOiler: How long does Kubiak have to produce a winning season? i’d say one more season, tops.

Megan_Manfull: The Texans have to keep showing progress. So far, they really have done that. It seems as if it’s moving at a snails pace, but they are progressing still. They are still one win ahead of where they were last year at this time.

roughnecks: Who do you think the Texans might go after as far as free agents go?

Megan_Manfull: I really just haven’t looked into the pool of players who are likely available. It’s so hard to tell this early who is actually going to be a free agent and who is going to re-sign before then.

DiehardChris: Any chance of the Texans giving Eric Winston some snaps at LT just to see if he’s good at it? I think the organization is assuming a lot if they think Spencer will be the same player he was.

Megan_Manfull: I’m sure they’ve considered it, but if they make that move it wouldn’t happen until the offseason. You can’t disrupt the line anymore than it already has been with four games to go.

Hothy: Megan, have you seen enough of Schaub to form a solid opinion on him as a player, and if you have what is it?

Megan_Manfull: It’s hard to really have a “solid” take on him. But I think he could be a good starting quarterback in this league. He’s had a run of bad luck, that’s for sure. But he’s got a good arm, good presence in the pocket, and he’s a good leader on the team. He also can run enough for a first down, once in awhile. I think he is a smart player, who reads defenses well, for the most part. But he’s clearly inconsistent. He’s essentially a rookie though. And if you look at him as a rookie, he’s played pretty darn well when he’s been in there.

KP: I know you’ve probably covered this, but for those of us joining late, what’s the latest on Schaub? I’m familiar with his injury and I don’t see how he can come back this season without re-injuring his shoulder.

Megan_Manfull: It’s definitely not a given he will be back. Because it’s not his throwing shoulder, the Texans are holding out hope. They will continue to evaluate him and his future as they do more tests today. They hadn’t done all the possible tests yesterday.

Ape2man: Why isn’t Kubiak pounding the rock with Ron Dayne in the second half of games? He is running the ball well and doesn’t get the ball when it matters.

Megan_Manfull: Kubiak tends to shy away from the running game when the team trails in the second half. I think that decision was a big reason they lost against Cleveland.

SpecialGuest: I think the Texans can pull off a win against the Broncos? Do you?

Megan_Manfull: I think it’s going to be a good matchup for them. But they aren’t going to win if they keep making the same mistakes. It won’t matter who they play.

GregB: How bad is the Texans offensive line (injuries are not excuses) when compared to the offensive lines of other NFL teams ?

Megan_Manfull: The Texans are much improved this season. The Texans rank 23rd in the NFL in sacks allowed with just 18. Detroit leads the league with 50. You also have to remember not all those sacks are the offensive line’s fault. And they are blocking well for Ron Dayne in the run game.

gb: How many DBs have been injured this year? Wouldn’t that have some impact on the overall play of the secondary?

Megan_Manfull: It plays a huge role. They’ve lost five or six already this season – including Dunta Robinson, Glenn Earl and Jason Simmons. Can you imagine how well the cornerbacks could be playing right now if Dunta was opposite of Fred Bennett, who has three interceptions in the last four games?

StillTXN: Do you think the Texans players will have any representatives in the Pro Bowl, or do you think due to the losing record of the team many of the guys will be overlooked?

Megan_Manfull: It may be hard for DeMeco Ryans to get the attention. A winning record would help him a lot. Andre Johnson’s injury hurts his chances. There aren’t a whole lot of other candidates out there. Dunta Robinson may have been headed to his first one if he hadn’t gotten hurt.

Hothy: With Mario Williams the new single season sack record holder, is it more of a sign of how bad this team was in the past or has Mario turned a corner over the last few weeks?

Megan_Manfull: Mario is getting better. But it’s hard to celebrate records of a franchise that only started in 2002. If he was beating out an Oilers record from back in the day, it would be different. It would have held up longer than just six seasons.

dan_in_panama_city: Megan: I saw where the Texans cut Shantee Orr. I remember early in the season, he was being touted as a pass rushing specialist. What happened? Dan

Megan_Manfull: They just didn’t have a place for him anymore. They started changing the way they lined up in passing situations, and he didn’t fit in anymore. He’s a tweener, who has a lot of talent, but never fit well into the team’s new 4-3 scheme.

CC: Are the players actually aware that they make boneheaded mistakes every game that cause them to lose? And if they are, do they plan to stop making them?

Megan_Manfull: Yes and yes… We’ll see what happens next week.

texansdee: why didnt the texans blitz very much yesterday? VY would just sit there and sit there and then throw a completion.

Megan_Manfull: Because if they would have blitzed him, he would have run 50 yards down the field. They tried to get pressure with their four-man front.

Hothy: How is Kubiak planning to correct the vast amount of turnovers and mental mistakes this team has made over the season?

Megan_Manfull: He is trying to figure out that himself. He is running extra turnover drills in practice. That’s a start, at least.

Ape2man: When is Kubiak going to figure out his mistakes at halftime, when the games are close and actually commit to running the ball in the third quarter? I don’t think the Texans have scored a TD in the third quarter this year. It is embarrassing!!

Megan_Manfull: They haven’t scored a third quarter touchdown since Week 2. It was a long, long time ago.

gb: Why is it that when the Titans lose Haynesworth for three games it becomes a main reason for Titan defense not playing well and losing three games and yet when the Texans lose every significant playmaker on both sides of the ball for extended periods of time, “Injuries are not an exuse” for declining perfomance?

Megan_Manfull: People don’t let the Texans have that excuse, because they haven’t won with everyone healthy yet.

ea: Is Jacoby Jones still hampered by that early season injury? He seems much more tentative and…scared compared to the preseason.

Megan_Manfull: He isn’t hampered by the injury physically, but he doesn’t seem like the same player he was before the shoulder injury. He’s trying to make big plays out there though. He’s a rookie. He’s got a lot of potential still.

Doug_SLeon: Every season the Texans seem to suffer from an inordinate number of injuries. Are they really taking more than most teams? Any thoughts on why the Texans continue to have so many injuries?

Megan_Manfull: Every team thinks they have the most injuries. I’m not sure how the Texans stack with the rest of the league. It would be interesting to find out. As for why they have so many injuries, it’s hard to tell. A broken leg, a Lisfranc fracture, a fractured vertebra, separated shoulder, dislocated shoulder… They are all different. It seems unlucky to me.

StillTXN: At what point does the “they are a young team” stigma get dropped and we have to face our flaws.

Megan_Manfull: Now.

gb: With Okoye hitting the rookie wall, who besides M. Williams would be considered anything other then a journeymen D lineman?

Megan_Manfull: Hmmm. No one, at this point. Williams and Okoye will be solid linemen down the road though.

TimFromTexas: I like Kubiak, and think he can be a great coach. However, doesnt it seem like he is putting a poorly coached team on the field every week?

Megan_Manfull: You’re right. It’s not just the players who are making mistakes these days. Some of the blame definitely rests with Kubiak.

Eric1836: What is the possibilities on a defensive coordinator change after the season?

Megan_Manfull: I’d be very surprised if that happened. It may depend on how the final few weeks play out. Defensively, a lot of the blame rests on the secondary, however. And a lot of problems in the secondary are caused by injuries. The defensive line must get better. The team must figure out how to blitz effectively.

ragingbull: im sitting here watching..reading..down in the dumps pretty much(as usual these past 5 years)…what is there to look foward to with this team

Megan_Manfull: Well, are you talking about in the rest of this season? If that’s the case, Mario Williams is getting better. Maybe he’ll become consistent down the stretch. Fred Bennett is turning into a heck of a player. And there’s a lot of young offensive linemen with potential who are getting a chance in these final four weeks to show something.

Megan_Manfull: Thanks for all the great questions today! Have a good week.